Blog

Vitamin D is not one chemical but many, known as "the sunshine vitamin" because we naturally create it from sunlight and cholesterol - yes!  to make vitamin D3. In contrast, most dietary supplements are manufactured by exposing a plant “sterol” to ultraviolet energy, and producing vitamin D2.

Our Government has voted against an amendment to the agricultural bill which would have guaranteed imports meet the UK’s high standards for the environment, animal welfare and food safety. Food is information, from the biochemical reactions that occur at a cellular level - the types of food can actually turn on or off “good” or “bad” genes. The foods we eat control our state of health and our gut microbiome, which has multiple impacts on our immune, metabolic and mental health.  

The gallbladder is a small, but really important organ of the digestive system, and because GI problems, can be as a result of a number of pieces of a larger puzzle. In this blog I discuss a number of the functions of the gallbladder, bile and bile acids. 

We’ve been inundated with public health messages instilling fear and panic, threatening another lockdown, more mandatory wearing of masks and even night curfews, because of “soaring cases”........

Firstly, what is a case? The correct use of the term, represents someone with severe symptoms, severe enough to be admitted to hospital. However what the media and Govt are dramatically calling a case, the numbers spooling across our TV screens don’t fit this criteria at all. Find out more about cases, our immune response and my thoughts on what the population's priority should be right now...

Earlier this summer, it was announced people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes would be able to self-refer to specialist support services in a bid to curb this disease and  one of the biggest risk factors in Covid-19 deaths. The intervention of “support” is  a soup-and-shake diet weight-loss plan. 

These “meal replacements” are packed full of artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, and gums. These very ingredients that play havoc with our gut microbiota and blood sugar levels. In addition to well-established risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including predisposition, poor physical activity, high consumption of refined and processed carbohydrates, an altered configuration of the microbial community in our gut – the microbiota – is also linked to type 2 diabetes - and what causes this "altered configuration"? yup- artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers and refined foods! 

Can we just stop! And apply some connected thinking here...?

Although many studies on fibre simply look at the association between total dietary fibre consumption and certain health markers, not all fibre has the exact same function. Therefore, it is important to consume a variety of fibres rather than just one. Read on to find out more, including links between diseases and changes of microbiota...

Over the summer break, based on new literature surrounding SIBO, IBS and of course immune health, I have curated a new and updated food plan: The Microbiome Restoration plan.

The goal of the Microbiome Restoration Food Plan is to increase diversity of species such as Lactobacilli , Bifido, Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii + other bacteria which produce health giving short chain fatty acids that positively impact not only of gut and digestive health but also support immunity, weight management and mood.

Will you join me in September on the mighty microbiome diet plan challenge?

Hot flushes and night sweats are hallmarks of menopause, occurring in more than 70% of women and can  last up to 10 years after menopause. They emerge as oestrogen and progesterone levels decline, and also good evidence implicates  the involvement of the autonomic nervous system too. In this post I’ll address the hormone component and next week the autonomic nervous system. 

The conventional medical mindset is that menopause is an oestrogen deficiency resulting from ovarian failure. While oestrogen levels  decrease during perimenopause, the truth is, levels do not fall appreciably until after a woman’s last period. In fact, far more women suffer from the effects of oestrogen  during the transition — that is, they have too much oestrogen relative to progesterone. Read on to find out Oestrogen Dominance Symptoms and the causes...

The question on everyone's lips right now is “how can I boost my immune system”? While the idea of taking a “superfood”, medication or touted “immune boosting supplement” is enticing, the truth of the matter is it is not that straight forward, simple or indeed possible. In fact we do not want to boost a system that is in any way inflamed already (more on this in a moment). The immune system is precisely that — a system, not a single entity and as such is a highly complex web of specialist organs, cells, hormones and chemicals that ebb and flow in response to its surrounding environment. What we are actually striving for is an immune system that is resilient.